Women's Health & Wellness
Housing Stability
Gender-based Violence
Core Focus Areas
The Seattle Women’s Commission is a volunteer advisory body of twenty-one community members working to build a Seattle where all women can thrive. Commissioners bring their lived experience, expertise, and community perspectives to research issues affecting women, elevate voices that are too often overlooked, and use that feedback to advocate for meaningful change. SWC makes recommendations to the Mayor, City Council, and City departments on policies and programs that impact women’s safety, stability, and well-being.
Since its founding in 1970 by Jeanette Williams, the Seattle Women’s Commission has transformed how a city listens to and acts on the needs of women. By establishing a permanent and trusted voice within city government, the Commission has ensured that gender equity is not an afterthought but a guiding principle in decision-making. For more than five decades, its advocacy has helped position Seattle as a national leader in embedding gender equity into the fabric of public policy.
Changing History
Williams with Mayor Uhlman signing proclamation for Seattle Women's Commission, August 23, 1972. Photo courtesy of the Seattle Municipal Archives.
The Seattle Women's Commission (SWC) which is made up of 21 volunteers, receives an annual stipend of $2,000. This was originally intended to cover basic meeting expenses, such as food and venue costs. Over the years, SWC has adapted these funds to support its work, which has proven insufficient to meaningfully advance research, deepen community outreach and engagement, or access the tools needed to research and advance policy at the scale required.